Facebook Posts on Shyamkanu Mahanta Lead to 22-Hour Detention of Zubeen's Fan in Assam

Dipjyoti Gogoi, an entrepreneur and socially engaged youth of Assam's Sivasagar, couldn’t understand his detention for nearly 24 hours at the Demow police station, nor did the police personnel give him a convincing reply. 

“We have got an order from above, not to release you immediately”,—was the reply Dipjyoti had multiple times, which he terms as a violation of rights.

“I asked the police if they have any complaint, then they should file a case against me and allow me to pursue legal options. They didn’t do anything but made me sit in the 'thana' whole night. It itself is a harassment.”—Dipjyoti Gogoi told Pratidin Time. 

His detention was due to Facebook posts he made seeking Justice for Zubeen Garg, which he had to remove in the police station amid the 22-hour-long detention. What was there in the post that made the police appear so intimidating? 

What Happened?

On October 5, the manager of Dipjyoti’s enterprise at Sivasagar called him of the police were coming over to the shop. The manager also told Dipjyoti that, on being asked by him, the police didn’t give the reason for their coming to the shop.

Dipjyoti later called on the OC (Officer in charge) of the Demow Police station when the OC asked him to come to the police station. “The OC told me that it was related to one of my Facebook posts, which was to be removed,”—Dipjyoti said.

Upon reaching the police station, Dipjyoti was asked to delete two posts from his Facebook account, and after that, his phone was seized for the entire time he was detained.

What Was In Dipjyoti’s Facebook Posts?

Dipjyoti posted two photos—one where CM Himanta Biswa Sarma was seen sitting with Shyamkanu Mahanta in a helicopter, and the other of Shyamkanu Mahanta with police commissioner Partha Sarathi Mahanta and IPS Diganta Borah.

This was before Shyamkanu was arrested, which means much before Dipjyoti was called by the Demow police.

Notably, these photos, along with many others featuring Shymakanu, were circulating on an unprecedented scale on social media. Dipjyoti Gogoi was one of them who posted two photos seeking justice for Zubeen Garg, Assam’s music maestro, Assam’s beloved soul. 

The public outcry during that time (before Shaymkanu was arrested) was focused on questioning the Assam Government. In a way to consolidate the demand of bringing the suspects into book. Shyamkanu was an obvious suspect. Netizens’ anger exploded on social media on the mysterious death of beloved Zubeen Garg, and they didn’t shy away from sharing photos like the ones Dipjyoti did.

Although Dipjyoti deleted his posts, neither his phone was given to him nor was he allowed to return home. He was finally allowed to leave the Demow police station on October 6 at around 12 noon. “I spent the night sitting inside the police station. However, I must say that the police didn’t misbehave with me during the entire period,” he told.

“But detaining someone without a cause for a day is itself a harassment. All these are done to scuttle the voices that seek justice. Nothing less, nothing more”—Dipjyoti commented.

Also Read: Two of Zubeen Garg’s PSOs Suspended Amid Financial Misappropriation Probe